Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-12-29


Glen Clinton" continued old man
Plunket, ''stood six feet two inches In his
stocking feet, and was just 2S years old,
and not er pound er surplus flesh erbou5
him. He was the best shot in north Ala
bama, and warn't Altered to back up what
he thought was right. Thar was lots er
disagreements during of the war, and
more especially here in these mountains.
Len didn't have nothing to do with poll
tics nor war for er long time, for he
warnt man to talk much, but it got SO
arter while that it warn't safe for no.
body to travel Ground ermong these
mountains, for one side or the other was
morn apt to put er bullet into you when
you warn't thinking erbout it. One day
erlong in the latter part Of '63 Len was
over to old man Burrows still, and while
he was thar erbout fourteen er fifteen of
the bushwhacking gang came up. Thar
warn't none Of these bushwheckers that
hankered arter any trouble with Len, SO
they got Ground and talked and drank,
and drank and talked till erlopg up in the
day erlong came old man Edwards boy
going so mill with a turn OF wheat. Old
Edwards was terrible Jeff Davis man,
ard the bushwhackers warn't ergWine to
let him get any milling done if they could
help it. They stopped the boy, and all of
'em got out in the road Ground him, and
they had the little fellow scared to death,
and he commenced to beg 'em but they
had their heads set on devilment and they
war bound to have trouble. One of 'em
cut the bag open and let the wheat run
out on the ground, and one of 'em stuck
his knife in the old mare just to see her
Jump, and some of 'em said let's give the
boy good whipping and send him back
to his old rebel dad, and it was no sooner
said than right to cutting switches they
went and the boy was crying and begging
and Len he'd sot thar on an old bench and
hadn't said nothing yet, but all of
sudden be grabbed his Old gun and sprang
behind er tree and then he lowed
"'The first man that lays er switch on
that boy. I'll git him.
''The bushwhackers gotfuriOus then and
grabbed thar guns and the captain Of the
gang come down ercross the boy with
switch, and as he did the crack of LENS
gun was heerd and it settled that captain.
Lens gun cracked ergin and another of
the bushwhackers fell, and then they all
took to trees, for they knowed Len had
two pistols with him and he was just as
good with er pistol as he was with er gun.
From that time on Len Clinton was looked
on as er JEFF Davis man, and he had to
keep his eye skunt according.
"ln less than no time it was well known
that Len Clinton was great JEFF Davis
man, and he pretty soon WAS made captain
of his side, and thar war thirty or forty
fellows that didn't want no better fun
than TO follow Len to recover stolen prop
erty or TO avenge the wrongs committed
by the bushwhackers of the other side.
Len was just beginning to git things
Strengthened out in his settlement so as
fellow could sorter live, when in pops one
er these here conscrip6 officers and tells
f4lm he must GO to the war.
"I've got enough war right here in
these mountains said Len.
sBut the conscript officer he raised er
row and tried to make him go and he